Nepal’s TV stations cut broadcasts as power outages increase

Kathmandu, Jan 9 (DPA) Private television stations in Nepal have announced several hours of cuts to regular broadcasts, citing growing power outages.Television Broadcasters’ Nepal, an umbrella body of five private stations, said Thursday they would no longer be able to keep up round-the-clock broadcasts due to power outages.

The government-owned Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) earlier Thursday announced 12 hours of power cuts across the country, saying it was unable to meet demand.

“We are compelled to declare emergency and cut our regular broadcast by five hours in our 24-hour programme schedule because of the crippling power outage,” a statement issued by the body said.

Electricity production had fallen to just a quarter of the demand because of low water levels in reservoirs and rivers that feed the country’s hydroelectricity plants, according to the NEA.

The situation had worsened during Nepal’s dry winter season and the power outage could increase up to 16 hours a day from mid-January, the authority said.

Nepal produces only half of the electricity it needs and had been importing the rest from India. But floods in the Kosi river in September washed away the main transmission lines used for importing power from India.